


Time and Time Again

by Darkglade



Category: Date A Live
Genre: F/M, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26767684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkglade/pseuds/Darkglade
Summary: Shido dies. Again, the Spirits Invert and the world ends. Again, Kurumi turns back the clock for the man she loves.
Kudos: 23





	1. No matter what I am by then

_1._

The first to fall in love loses.

That was the nature of the contest between them, the wager that turned the art of love into the art of war. If Kurumi won, she would devour Shido and the vast amount of Spirit energy contained within him. If Shido won, he would seal her Spirit energy away, greatly weakening her.

She always fancied herself the aggressor when it came to romantic relationships, so she was caught flat-footed when Shido boldly invited her over for dinner – which led to her sitting at a table in the Itsuka household, watching him cook in the kitchen. Their battle started only yesterday, yet he had already seized the initiative.

The peeping eyes of the other Spirits peered at them from the neighboring room, but she paid them no mind, for she only had eyes for one person.

_My, my, to think such a simple invitation has already riled me up to such an extent._ Her eyes darted to the poorly concealed girls in the other room. _Then again, I suppose Shido-san is already quite experienced in making girls fall for him, hmm?_

The doorbell rang.

Shido sighed. "Why did Ratatoskr build the Spirit mansion when you all keep coming over here anyway . . . ."

She paid his departure no mind as she continued to rack her brain for strategies: maybe they should go to that lingerie shop again? He certainly seemed excited the last time they were there. Or maybe that was too forward, and they should go to the pet store instead . . . it's been a while since she's petted a cat.

_No, no, the date is supposed to be for him, not for me! Maybe I should –_

**SQUELCH!**

Kurumi stilled. The sound was soft, yet it rang so loudly in her head. The other Spirits were still whispering to each other, oblivious to that terrible sound she was so, so familiar with –

She smelled the blood a moment later.

"H – Huh? Kurumi-san, where are you going?"

She paid no heed to Kotori's cry as she rushed to the front door, images of blood and death filling her mind.

Ellen Mathers stood there in the doorway, her laser sword embedded in Shido's torso. With a flick of her wrist, the blade carved itself upward, bisecting his body at the head. The body tumbled to the ground, staining the ground a ghastly red.

"There you are! Why were you . . ."

Kotori and the other Spirits rounded the corner just in time to see the boy they loved fall on the floor as a bloody mess.

A deathly silence fell over them, only to be shattered by a bloodcurdling scream.

Waves of negative energy rippled outwards as the other Spirits screamed, their bodies twisting and turning as an ugly black washed over them. A whirlwind of fire, ice, and wind tore the house asunder, devastating the surrounding area in a violent catastrophe.

Amidst that carnage, a lone girl sunk into the shadows, cradling a broken body.

* * *

Tengu City was destroyed.

Kurumi gazed upon the city's ruins as the fallen Angels ran amok, vengeful Spirits born from the despair of heartbroken girls.

She glanced at the body in her arms. Shido, the boy who loved Spirits and was loved by them in turn. It was ironic, to think that not too long ago she had imagined this exact scenario would transpire by her own hands; for her to devour Shido and consume his vast amount of Spirit energy, all so she would have the strength to go back thirty years and kill the Spirit of Origin.

But someone had beaten her to the punch, and now her plan lied in shambles. In this timeline, at least.

_I can't afford to wait any longer. I have to go back and devour Shido-san right away, before DEM has a chance to kill him!_

Her course was set, her decision made. It should've been easy for the girl known as the "Worst Spirit", the girl who was already stained red by the blood of thousands to carry it out. After all, she had already trampled over the lives of so many; what was one more?

Yet, she hesitated. Confronted with the idea of ending the life of the boy in her hands, her entire body froze up.

She remembered. Remembered how she had threatened him, yet he had refused to give up on her. How he had saved her life from Kotori, how they had teamed up against Miku . . . even the little interactions when she had been attending his school were engraved in her mind.

At some point, Shido Itsuka had become a part of her life.

She couldn't bear to rip him out with her own hands.

In this little game of theirs . . . she had already lost.

Her clones surrounded her, appearing one-by-one. They all understood; they knew what had to be done.

She turned to them, her faithful compatriots. "Everyone, let us die for Shido-san's sake."

"Yes, yes, gladly."

"It will be a pleasure."

"This life was always meant to be a stepping-stone."

Shadows wrapped around her arm and formed into a pistol that she pressed against the side of her head.

"Now, let us journey to the other side of the river."

Kurumi invoked the words that would change history:

" _Zafkiel – the Sixth Bullet – Vav!"_

A gunshot rang out.

And thus, the world ended.

* * *

_2._

The doorbell rang.

Kurumi stood up. "Ah, allow me, Shido-san. I'm sure you are quite preoccupied in the kitchen."

"What? No, really, I can get it – "

But she was already moving towards the door with long, purposeful strides. In one smooth motion, she flung open the door and fired a shot at whoever might be standing there.

A green Territory deflected the bullet, the surprised Wizard leaping backwards and throwing out several sheets of paper.

_Paper? Surely, they don't expect to kill me with paper cuts –_

The paper expanded, forming into several identical black-haired girls in nun outfits.

"Oh? Is Father's mistress in trouble?"

"Then, let us assist."

"I don't need your sass! Just play your parts as expendable distractions," Ellen snapped.

"Yes, yes."

"The Nibelcole shall prove our worth!"

Ellen and the clones rushed her, but DEM wasn't the only one with an army of clones at their disposal.

"Come, _me_. Let us drag these fools into the shadows!"

Her shadow stretched out in front of her, pale hands reaching out to grab at the legs of the invaders as they struggled forward. Ellen hacked and slashed her way forward, dodging bullets from Kurumi as she approached. Meanwhile, the Nibelcole grappled with Kurumi's clones, the latter slowly overpowering the former as more and more Kurumi clones piled on.

"Kurumi? What's going on out here?"

Shido rushed over, the other Spirits trailing behind him, bewildered by the sudden brawl that had broken out in front of the house.

Kurumi saw how Ellen's eyes snapped to the boy, and an ominous premonition came over her. "Stay back, Shido-san! They're trying to kill you!"

A golden flash interrupted the battle, briefly blinding her. When she opened her eyes, a blond-haired girl was standing next to Shido, her laser sword stained with blood.

His body crumpled to the ground, head rolling off. As it slid to a stop near her feet, the vacant eyes stared up at her, accusing.

_You couldn't save me._

By the time the screams began, Kurumi had already pulled the trigger.

* * *

_3._

"Artemisia Bell Ashcroft . . . what a fearsome opponent."

That was the name of Shido's killer in the previous timeline. A fearsome Wizard in her own right, comparable to the likes of Ellen Mathers. Kurumi doubted she could fend off both at the same time.

"We might need to call in some help on this one . . . what do you think, _me_?"

Her clones popped out of the shadows around her.

"Indeed, the opponents are most formidable."

"Perhaps, if we had a fearsome Wizard on our side as well . . ."

"Are you talking about that unpleasant girl, _me_?"

"Yes, that girl is quite unpleasant when she enthusiastically kills _me_."

Kurumi spoke up. "Mana-san, then? I suppose she could be relied upon to fight for Shido-san's sake. Very well then, _me_ , go lead a group to negotiate with her."

"Yes, yes, how exciting."

"I'm sure a few of us will lose our heads in the process."

"Isn't that a part of the fun?"

As her clones slinked away, Kurumi sighed. Were her clones always so chatty? Perhaps it was how they coped with being discardable existences.

She glanced down at her hand, clenching and unclenching her fist as she reaffirmed her resolve.

"This time, I'll definitely save you, Shido-san."

* * *

Mana hummed to herself as she worked on her homework. Even though she was technically far too old to be in high school now, she still wanted to complete her education; it would be far too disgraceful for Shido's cute little sister to be a high school dropout!

Her hand whipped backward, extending her laser sword and cleaving through the shadows behind her.

"My, my, what a rude welcome. I see you're just as unpleasant as ever, Mana-san."

"And you're just as troublesome as ever, Nightmare. Why don't you make it easier for all of us and stay dead?"

"And deprive the world of my wily charms? That would be far too cruel!"

Mana penned in an answer to a math problem – this homework was due at midnight, so she would rather not get in a fight with a Spirit right now. "Leave. I have nothing to say to someone with untoward intentions for my big brother."

"If you think me to be untoward, then I'm sure DEM would qualify as quite villainous. They're planning to kill him tomorrow, you know?"

Her pencil stopped.

Nightmare grinned. "Well, it seems I have your attention now."

* * *

The doorbell rang.

Again, Kurumi gave Ellen a rude welcome. Again, the Nibelcole manifested and her clones rose to meet them.

Again, Shido rushed outside with the other Spirits.

Again, a golden flash enveloped the battlefield –

This time, she heard the sizzling sound of two laser swords colliding and a cry of surprise.

"I guess you were right . . . Kurumi."

Mana gave her a look of grudging acceptance as the two of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the Shido, ready to defend the boy with their lives.

"Of course. I'm always right, didn't you know?"

"Don't be too full of yourself."

In front of them, their enemies stood warily, re-evaluating their chances. As the other Spirits manifested their Astral Dresses one-by-one, the two DEM Wizards evidently disliked their odds and began to retreat.

As Kurumi watched them depart into the distance, she dared to hope that this would be enough.

* * *

" _Me_ , wake up!"

Kurumi woke with a start. A clone was shaking her, alarm written all over her face.

She groaned. "What is it, _me_?"

"Shido-san is dead!"

Her heart stopped. Panic and dread twisted and turned in her stomach, a nauseous feeling welling up inside her. "How?! Didn't I tell several of _me_ to keep an eye on Shido-san's house?!"

"We did!" The clone wailed. "We didn't see anyone suspicious go in or out!"

A deafening roar pierced the air around her; Kurumi rushed to the window just in time to see a giant black laser cut a swath through the town, leaving devastation in its wake.

Ice and frost were already forming on the window despite the temperature being merely slightly chilly only minutes before. A tornado of fire blazed in the distance, a cataclysmic descent of hellfire.

"The body. Did you see Shido-san's body?" Kurumi demanded.

A haggard clone with a burnt dress stumbled out of her shadow, clutching a charred and limp body.

"Shido-san!"

She rushed over to the body, carefully laying it down. Burns were scattered all over the corpse, but the most distinct feature was the way the neck was twisted at an unnatural angle.

"The neck . . . his neck was snapped. But how? Who could've done it?"

The clones around her shuffled their feet, unwilling to meet her gaze. Kurumi growled as her pistol formed in her hand. "Fine. I'll figure it out myself."

Again, the gunshot cracked.

Again, the world ended.

* * *

_4._

In the depths of darkness, Kurumi kept watch.

Her unwavering sight was centered squarely on the Itsuka household, and aside from the other Spirits trickling in and out during the evening, no one else had approached.

No one else had made an appearance.

No killer had shown themselves.

And in the midst of it all, she had one thought raging through her mind:

Keeping watch was so. So. _Boring_!

Kurumi groaned as she rubbed her head. When she caught the killer, she would surely put them through _hell_ for making her endure this tedious experience.

As she stifled a yawn, she thought that maybe the previous timeline was a fluke, that maybe nothing was going to happen after all –

**BOOM!**

An explosion rocked the Itsuka household, fire pouring out of shattered windows. Kurumi jumped up in alarm before dashing towards the chaos.

When she reached Shido's room, she found Kotori, awash with darkness, standing over her brother's lifeless form.

Her eyes zoomed in on Shido's neck and found that it was once again twisted unnaturally.

Kurumi screamed in frustration as she pulled the trigger.

* * *

_5._

It was official. She was going to have to ask to stay the night. Preferably in the same room as Shido.

After all, if the killer slipped through her surveillance then she would simply have to wait for them to come to her.

Of course, when she brought it up, Shido made a cute impersonation of a red-hot pot kettle.

"S – Stay the night?" he asked, bewildered.

"Indeed, Shido-san." She sidled up to him. "Isn't this an excellent opportunity for you? You might even be able to make me fall for you with your level of . . . _experience_." Her hand trailed down the side of his body.

Kotori, equally red-faced, vehemently shot down her suggestion. "A – Absolutely not!"

The other Spirits looked on with various reactions.

"I don't understand. Is there something special about staying the night?" Tohka asked.

"Ah, Tohka-san, it's quite significant, you see! There are certain _implications_ when a woman spends the night at a man's house!" Yoshinon said as Yoshino gently tugged Tohka to the side to whisper in her ear.

Kaguya thrust a finger at Kurumi. "What a brazen request! To think such a fearsome opponent has appeared . . . the only thing we can do is do our best to match them!"

"Confirmation. We will not allow Shido to be alone tonight," Yuzuru added.

Nia cheered. "Are we having a late-night party? I can bring drinks!"

As the situation continued to devolve into chaos, Kurumi saw Shido's eyes dart back-and-forward between her and Kotori, uncertain. Eventually, she saw Ratatoskr's commander huff and turn away, giving a reluctant nod.

Shido grinned sheepishly. "W – Well, I suppose it's alright . . . we do have spare guest rooms."

"Aww, but I wanted to share a room with Shido-san . . ."

"That is one line I absolutely won't cross!" Kotori yelled.

* * *

Of course, Kurumi had no intention of respecting the line drawn by Kotori.

While the killer may have evaded her notice when she was keeping watch outside, there was surely no chance they would be able to do the same when she was snuggled up next to their quarry.

It was a simple plan: wait for everyone to fall asleep, then slip into Shido's bed.

The plan went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, she ran into a small snag afterwards.

Namely, the fact that apparently Shido was quite clingy in his sleep. And now she was pinned between his arms.

"Mmm . . ."

Shido mumbled something incoherent in his sleep, pulling her closer. This close, Kurumi could see every little detail of his face, from the sharp contours of his cheeks to the luster of his smooth lips.

"Shido-san . . ." she whispered.

She wondered what would happen if they accidentally kissed. Would that seal her powers away? After all, her affection for him was not insignificant in the least. If that happened, however, then she might lose the ability to go back in time, meaning that the next time Shido died would be the end of him.

Which meant that despite how much she was thinking about sneaking a kiss from him in his sleep, it was too risky.

Now, if only the killer could show up already! Kurumi didn't fancy waiting around all night, dodging Shido's fumbling movements.

The door creaked open.

Immediately, Kurumi had her pistol aimed at the intruder –

**BANG!**

Next to her, Shido immediately jolted up with a yelp. Moments later, the lights flickered on, revealing the intruder she had just shot with _Zayin_ to be . . .

Nia?

Shido glanced at her, then at the figure frozen in time, then back at her. "Um, what's going on?"

Kurumi sighed. False alarm. It appears she wasn't the only one who had thoughts about sneaking into Shido's bed. "My apologies, Shido-san. I heard someone trying to get in your room and I assumed the worst."

"You're not supposed to be in here either!"

"My, my, how cold. I would've thought you to be _ecstatic_ at having the opportunity to rub our warm bodies together."

As he spluttered out denials, she snapped her fingers and resumed Nia's time. "My apologies, Nia-san. I mistook you for an intruder that wished ill upon Shido-san."

Dull blue eyes blinked blearily at her, a somewhat oddly blank expression on Nia's face. Perhaps there were still some lingering aftereffects of _Zayin_? Regardless, she should head off the incoming stampede of feet coming their way before things spiraled out of control.

Stepping outside the room, she saw Kotori and the other Spirits making a beeline towards Shido's room when she suddenly heard an ominous **snap** _ **.**_

Kurumi froze. Slowly, she turned around, afraid of what she might find –

There, Nia stood with her back to her. Crumpled at her feet was Shido's body, his neck twisted at an odd angle.

Nia was the killer she was looking for.

She rushed back into the room, pushing the girl and the body into her shadow.

Just as the door slammed open behind her, she vanished into her shadow as well.

* * *

Nia woke up to find a gun pointed at her head.

Her body was frozen, unresponsive. It was as if everything below her neck had ceased to exist.

Her captor pressed in close, a sweet, sinister smile adorning a terrifying expression.

"My, my, Nia-san, you have quite a bit of explaining to do."

"If you wanted me to answer a question with my Angel, Kurumin, you could've just asked me instead of kidnapping me."

Kurumi froze. "A question? With your Angel? Is that what you think this is about?"

Nia frowned. "Is it not? What else would you possibly kidnap me for?"

The other girl spun to the side and pointed. " _That_."

Following the finger, Nia found her attention drawn to a body lying on the ground, a body that looked a lot like –

Nia gasped. "Shido!"

His body was stiff, lifeless, and unmoving. The head was twisted around the neck an odd way, like a doll that a child had cruelly disfigured.

She glared at Kurumi. "You! How could you – !"

"On the contrary," Kurumi said as she sauntered closer. "It was not me that committed this most grievous atrocity . . .

"It was you."

Nia felt as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. Her? Impossible. Everyone knew she was a pacifist who barely had any combat ability at all. Not to mention she couldn't recall doing anything as atrocious as killing Shido!

"I was surprised too," Kurumi continued. "I didn't think you had it in you. But I suppose it's true what they say about underestimating your opponents. After all, even a weak Spirit like you still has considerably more physical strength than an adult human, plenty enough to snap a frail boy's neck."

"I didn't do it!" Nia cried out. "How can you say it was me? I don't even remember doing anything like that!"

"I heard you snap his neck, and I saw you standing over his corpse. What more proof do I need?"

"But I wouldn't! I couldn't possibly do something like that! I love Shido!"

Kurumi growled, digging the muzzle of her pistol into Nia's temple. "If you won't be honest, then I suppose I'll have to force the truth out of you."

Zafkiel appeared, a dark and looming presence.

" _The Tenth Bullet – Yud._ "

The gun fired.

_Pain. Agony. Blood, so much blood spurting out from her body as they cut into her with all kinds of sharp instruments, dug their cold metal into the deepest regions of her body, turning her inside out like a macabre piece of art –_

_Even at night, they shocked her every half hour to keep her awake, keep her tired, exhausted, unable to resist._

_Every day, they tortured her. Every day, she wished she could die._

" _Please," she begged them. "Please kill me."_

_The men in masks never answered. All they ever did was cut into her again._

_Sometimes they switched it up. Sometimes it was the burning pain of fire, the searing shock of electricity, or the noxious vapors of poison. But they always went back to cutting her, in the end._

_There was a man. A man without a mask, white hair and dark eyes staring at her as she hung on a cross, nails hammered into her hands and feet._

_He waved a pendulum in front of her face. His words slipped into her ears like a snake, dark and tempting._

" _Would you kindly . . ." the snake whispered._

" _Kill Shido for me?"_

_She stood there in his room, her hands clasped around his neck. She could see the chaotic emotions swirling in his eyes, see the way they shifted from confusion, to fear, and then finally to betrayal._

_Her hands clenched, and a lifeless body fell to the floor._

_It had been so easy._

Nia screamed.

The gun fired again, and the screams were silenced.

* * *

_6._

"Hypnosis, huh? How troublesome," Kurumi muttered.

She had always written hypnosis off as a charlatan's trick, a staged act with phony actors. To think it was so potent that it could implant the desire to kill within someone without their knowledge . . .

Well, regardless, now that she knew who it was, it was a simple matter of preventing her from killing Shido.

" _Me_ seems to be quite relaxed, watching the rest of us hard at work," a clone grumbled.

Kurumi made a zipping motion toward the clones barricading Shido's bedroom door. "Shido-san is sleeping." She patted one of his arms wrapped around her. "Please don't disturb him."

The clones grumbled some more but remained vigilant.

Soon enough, they heard the doorknob rattling.

They all tensed. She had locked the door, but if Nia tried to break in, the clones should be more than enough to subdue her.

The doorknob rattled for a few more seconds before finally falling silent.

They all relaxed as they heard footsteps walking away.

Mission successful. Of course, just because Nia had failed tonight didn't mean the hypnosis wouldn't compel her to try again each night until she was successful. But if she was deterred by something as simple as a locked door, Kurumi didn't think the issue would be particularly troublesome –

Something wet splattered onto her arm.

"Huh?"

Kurumi turned to the side to find Shido looking at her with blood-stained eyes and blood-stained arms.

"K – Kurumi – !" Shido coughed up blood, convulsed violently, then finally became still.

Eerily still.

"Shido-san!"

Kurumi frantically pressed her finger against his wrist, searching for a pulse, only to find nothing.

What the hell was that?! She had diverted the killer away, no one else had come close, and she hadn't seen any evidence of a ranged attack either! It was as if he had spontaneously died of a heart attack –

Kurumi froze. Spontaneously . . . died?

She threw herself out of the bed and marched towards the door, Shido's blood trickling down onto the floor. Her clones silently followed her as she stormed towards the guest room where Nia was staying.

She threw the door open.

Nia sat at her desk, slumped over. Rasiel was open, blood pooling around its pages. The last sentence in the book was:

_Shido dies._

Kurumi checked her for signs of life but found nothing. Nia had killed herself using Rasiel's future description to kill Shido.

* * *

_7._

"Nia is missing?"

Origami froze behind the door to the rooftop. She had been planning to ambush Shido during lunch break and offer (force) him to taste-test some of her cooking, but that tone of worry in his voice was concerning.

_His voice was 22.4% higher pitched than normal when he said that, far above his normal range. Something serious must have come up._

Abandoning all subtlety, she threw open the door to the rooftop and made her demands known. "Shido. What's going on?"

He spun around. "Huh? Origami?"

Faint chatter could be heard from his phone, blossoming into Kotori's voice as he put it on speaker.

" – _We've ran scans all throughout the city, but we can't find any trace of her. It's like she just up and disappeared!"_

"Have you checked the outskirts of the city? Some artists find it easier to work in quiet, secluded locations; it is possible she went to such a place to better focus on her manga," Origami said.

" _. . . That's a good point. We'll try looking there too. But still, it's strange; Tohka and the others said they didn't see her in the Spirit mansion this morning when they went to wake her up."_

Origami frowned. So, Nia had already left by morning? Highly unlikely – that girl would sleep in past noon if she thought she could get away with it.

"Could she have been abducted by DEM?" she proposed.

Shido gasped in horror. Origami didn't blame him; Nia never told them of what happened to her during her time in captivity, but if the memories were enough to make her Invert . . . .

"Why would they do that? Didn't they already steal her powers?" he asked.

" _They stole part of her powers, so they might want to finish the job. But I find it hard to believe they managed to abduct her under our very noses!"_ Kotori growled. _"Regardless, go back to class. We'll handle the search."_

"Okay . . . keep me updated, alright?"

Shido had an anxious look as he hung up. Origami estimated that his stress levels were now 34.7% higher than normal.

"You're worried about Nia, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! She's starting to trust people again, so if DEM really did kidnap her so they could do awful things to her again – " Shido's voice cracked as he cut himself off.

Origami frowned. This was bad. If Shido's emotional stability was compromised, he wouldn't be able to handle the task of seducing Nightmare and winning their contest. In fact, if Nightmare played her cards right, she could very well take advantage of this situation to seduce Shido instead.

She froze as a thought occurred to her. If Nightmare . . .

"Origami? Is something wrong?"

Shido was staring at her, a concerned look on his face. His smile was strained, fragile. It was the smile of someone who cared too much about other people.

Origami hated seeing him like that.

"It's nothing."

* * *

Kurumi sighed as she heard footsteps behind her.

"My, my, how bold of you to venture into my lair all alone."

Origami stood in the doorway of the entrance to the hideout, face as hard as stone. "Did you do it?"

"Do it? Whatever could you mean?"

"Abduct Nia."

Kurumi spun around, glaring at the other girl. "Of course not. Why would I do something like that? I even helped rescue her from DEM, you know."

Origami stared back at her, judging.

". . . You're a good liar."

Kurumi laughed. Laughed and laughed and laughed at the futility of it all. Because the complications wouldn't stop, the obstacles in her path just wouldn't end. It was like she was truly stuck in an endless dead end.

"What gave it away?"

"Your motive," Origami replied. "If Shido was off-balance due to personal complications, you would have a significant edge in your contest against him."

"Oh? And why couldn't it have been DEM, who had already abducted several Spirits before?"

"Because I asked Ellen while she was out shopping. She had no idea what I was talking about. That woman is a painfully obvious liar."

Kurumi chuckled darkly. Well, if the cat was out of the bag, she supposed she might as well pour out the rest of the felines as well.

"Fine. You caught me. Congratulations, I'm the culprit you're looking for." She spread her arms out. "What are you going to do now?"

"Demand that you release her."

"Oh, I'm afraid that won't be possible. For you see . . ." Kurumi grinned sinisterly. "I didn't abduct Nia.

"I _killed_ her."

Origami was frozen, as if she couldn't quite believe what she had just heard. Slowly, her expression thawed, only to reveal an even colder glare underneath.

"I see. I shouldn't have expected any different from the Worst Spirit."

"So? What are you going to do now? You're too late to save your friend."

"Then I shall simply have to avenge her instead."

A bright light flashed, and the room exploded.

* * *

Kurumi panted for breath as she stood over Origami's motionless body. The girl had taken longer to defeat than she had expected. In fact, she was surprised none of the other Spirits had taken notice of their clash –

An explosion resounded in the far distance, and Kurumi immediately knew that this distraction had cost her. She rushed over to the Itsuka household –

But it was already too late.

Shido was dead, slumped against the ruins of his home. Several of the other Spirits were collapsed around his lifeless form, guardians that had failed in their duty to save the one they loved.

She too, had failed.

Failed _again_.

* * *

_8._

Kurumi rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. Nia and her hidden suggestion to kill Shido was proving to be quite the pain to deal with.

"If the compulsion is strong enough to make her overexert herself to the point of death using Rasiel, there is little I can do to stop her short of killing her beforehand. But if I kill her, then the other Spirits will investigate her disappearance and distract me from my goal of protecting Shido-san."

She slumped backwards. "Is there nothing I can do?"

"Isn't there something _me_ is missing?"

Kurumi turned to glare at _her_ , the eyepatch-wearing clone. "If _me_ has a suggestion, I would appreciate it if you put it forward instead of wasting _time_."

The clone sighed. "For someone who has all the _time_ in the world, _me_ sure is impatient. But very well; in a situation like this, wouldn't it be appropriate to 'fight fire with fire', as they say?"

She frowned. What was the clone trying to get at? She didn't have any sort of mind-controlling ability to counter the hypnosis with –

Oh.

The clone smirked. "I see _me_ understands."

"Yes, yes, I understand." Kurumi stood up. "It appears I must deal with that bratty girl after all."

* * *

Miku hummed happily as she skipped along the sidewalk. She was in a good mood – it wasn't every day she got called out to have a rendezvous with a girl as cute as Nia.

What could the other girl want with her? Maybe it had something to do with her manga? Ah, perhaps Nia wanted to use her as a reference for a manga character's design!

"And of course, this character would have a love interest whom she calls Darling~"

If the love interest was a boy, that is. If it was girl, well, that was perfectly fine too. Before she reserved the title solely for Shido, she had called some of her favorite girls "Darling" as well.

She slipped into the restaurant they were meeting at, noting how the place seemed surprisingly empty considering it was still the afternoon.

"Excuse me? I have a reservation – the name's Miku."

The waitress nodded, leading her to a table where Nia was already seated.

The other Spirit looked up as she sat down across from her. "Oh, there you are. So, what did you need my help with?"

Miku froze in the middle of flipping through the restaurant's menu. "Huh?"

The two of them blinked owlishly at each other.

"Um, didn't you call me here because you wanted my help with something?" Nia asked.

"Me? I don't recall doing something like that . . . I came all this way because I thought _you_ needed something from _me_."

As the two of them tried to make sense of this seemingly convoluted mess, Miku felt someone slide into the booth next to her.

"Ah, you're both here already. Good," a familiar voice spoke from next to her.

Miku turned to find the Worst Spirit, Kurumi Tokisaki, sitting next to her, flipping through the menu like she was merely an ordinary patron.

"Have you tried the ramen here? It's actually quite good," Kurumi said, ignoring the stares of the other two Spirits.

Nia slammed her hands on the table. "Hey, hey, what are you doing here, Kurumin? Wasn't this supposed to be just me and Mikki over here?"

Kurumi sighed, setting the menu down. "To business already? Very well then; to put it bluntly, I am the one who called the two of you here."

Miku narrowed her eyes. "You mean, _lured_ us here with those false invitations."

"Yes, yes, I did deceive you two. But, if I had simply asked bluntly, would the two of you really have come?"

Miku couldn't deny that she was suspicious of the shadowy girl next to her. Although she had seen this girl aid Shido against her when she took control of his friends, now this same girl comes back later with a contest where she gets to _devour_ Shido if she won.

And considering how she was rather attached to him at the moment, that was an outcome she would dearly like to avoid. Therefore, it is likely she would have avoided meeting with Kurumi to prevent the Worst Spirit from possibly getting an advantage in the contest.

Kurumi smirked as she noticed their subdued gazes. "I thought not."

"Well then, what's so important that you had to trick us into coming anyway?" Nia asked.

"Tonight, you're going to make an attempt on Shido-san's life. And most likely succeed."

The other two Spirits stared at Kurumi in disbelief.

"Pardon? Did I hear you right?"

"You did."

Nia scowled. "You must be crazy then, because why the _hell_ would I try and kill Boy?"

"It's not of your own volition, of course," Kurumi explained. "DEM implanted you with a post hypnotic suggestion while you were in captivity."

"Post hypnotic suggestion?" Miku asked.

"Yes. Essentially, DEM hypnotized Nia-san into carrying out an instruction later."

The girl in question was silent, starting at Kurumi contemplatively. "Let's assume for a moment that DEM did in fact hypnotize me since it is certainly possible something like that happened. How do you know it will trigger tonight?"

"Because I saw it happen. You will first attempt to snap Shido-san's neck, and if that fails, you will use Rasiel to write his death into existence."

Nia grimaced, paling at the thought. "Okay. Let's say I believe you. How do we stop it? I'm guessing you came back to stop it, right?"

"Indeed. While I do not know how to break a post hypnotic suggestion, nor do I know how long we would need to restrain you to wait for it to wear off, I believe we have a simple solution right in front of us." She stared pointedly at Miku.

Blinking in surprise, Miku pointed at herself. "Me?"

"You can brainwash people who listen to you, can't you? You can brainwash Nia-san into not attacking Shido-san."

Nia buried her head into her arms with a groan. "You want to fight brainwashing with more brainwashing? My head's going to be a mess after this . . . ."

Miku glanced between the two of them, uncertain. Once upon a time, she would've had no problems with frivolously using her power on others, but now she was much more considerate of how they might feel. "Are you really okay with this, Nia-san?"

"It's not like you'll turn me into a zombie, right? If your only order is to not hurt Boy, well, I wasn't planning on doing that anyway."

"Okay . . . I'll do it." Miku looked around, checking for spectators.

Kurumi waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I bought out the entire restaurant for us, and I told the staff to give us some privacy. No one will notice."

Miku nodded. Then, summoning her Angel, she took a deep breath –

And sang.

* * *

No one came knocking on Shido's bedroom door.

The boy lying next to her didn't start coughing up blood.

In other words, the night passed without incident.

Kurumi let out a deep breath. Finally, she managed to progress a little further before the next reset. Just how much more did she have left to go? How much longer would she have to stave off DEM before they stopped trying to kill Shido?

If this shadowy war between them lasted for days, months, years on end, would she have the resolve to see it all the way through?

As an explosion caved in the bedroom wall, Kurumi could only feel an overwhelming sense of weary resignation.

* * *

_52._

It was becoming routine.

Like a clockwork girl following preset directives, she began every timeline repeating the decisions she knew would stave off Shido's death. A hapless puppet strung along by the strings of fate, she dragged herself through the same days over and over again, until destiny cut her thread with a plot that she didn't foresee, a scheme that she couldn't unravel.

And then it would start all over again.

Again and again.

How many times has it been? How many times has Shido died in her arms?

House bomb.

Poison.

Sniper.

School bombing.

Orbital strike.

Nibelcole attack.

Hit and run.

Car crash.

Wizards ambush.

And so many more.

No matter how many plans she foiled, no matter how many machinations she exposed, it wasn't enough.

It's never enough.

Will this cycle of death continue forever? Will she always be trapped in this horrid nightmare, this endless dead end where she protected Shido over and over only to fail again?

Was this endeavor foolhardy from the start? Was Shido destined to die, were the Spirits doomed to Invert, was the world bound to end?

If everything was hopeless from the start, then maybe she should just . . . give up.

Every death was another scar on her heart, every failure another blemish on her soul. If she continued to dash herself against the wheel of time, soon enough there would be nothing left of her.

No one would blame her for giving up. No one would even notice that she had tried.

She did her very best. Wasn't that enough?

All she had to do was accept that she failed. That the boy she loved was dead. That she would never see him again.

Could she accept that?

"Such a dour look doesn't suit _me_."

Kurumi stared, tears dripping down her face. In front of her was her . . . that eye-patch wearing girl from five years ago.

The young clone gently clasped their hands together. "Are you tired?"

". . ."

"What a silly question. Of course you're tired; _we_ are all tired too. _We_ all know what you've been through, even though _we_ 've never experienced any of it for ourselves."

Kurumi sighed. "What do you want, _me_?"

"Do you believe the world is just?"

Just? Justice was a pipe dream, a fairy tale myth. There was nothing just about this world, this world where Shido had to die, where she had to suffer witnessing his countless deaths.

"The world is cruel and unforgiving; it eats up kindness and spits out anger and hatred at every corner," Kurumi spat.

The young clone smiled. "Indeed. That's why _we_ decided to fight for justice, right? If the world is cruel, _we_ will show them kindness. If the world hates us, then _we_ will shower them with love."

What? What nonsense was this; she wasn't – she didn't –

"If you give up now, then the darkness of the world will win," The clone said softly. "Shido's kindness, Shido's love – the world will swallow them up and you'll _never_ see them again.

"Can you accept that?"

Kurumi's hands shook. Never; never was such a strong word, thrown around by people who didn't truly understand its weight. As the empress of time, she understood its gravity, understood just how terrifying an eternity could be.

And an eternity without Shido . . . sounded truly terrifying.

She stood up.

The clone smirked. "Ah, now that is an expression more suited for _me_."

* * *

_56._

Shido died.

_62._

Again, the Spirits Inverted.

_68._

Again, the world ended.

_79._

Again, Kurumi turned back the clock.

_84._

At some point, Kurumi realized.

_93._

She couldn't always be on the defensive.

* * *

_100._

"Kotori-san."

Kotori turned around to find Kurumi before her. Immediately, she was on guard; was the other girl trying to gather information on Shido to gain an edge in their competition? "What do you want?"

"Please have Ratatoskr go to war with DEM."

"What?!"

That was the last thing she expected Kurumi to bring up. And while Ratatoskr and DEM were enemies, having clashed against each other many times in the past, engaging in an all-out war seemed a bit . . . excessive. Not to mention, this request seemed rather strange . . .

"Why would we do that? We've been winning so far, haven't we? All the Spirits have been sealed by Shido or will soon be sealed by Shido."

Kurumi laughed. "My, my, confident, aren't we?"

"Of course. If it's my big brother, I'm sure he can steal your heart easily."

"He may not get the chance if DEM steals his life first."

Kotori stilled. The thought of her brother dying was an ugly notion that gnawed at her constantly. And how could it not? He was a boy toying around with monstrous beings so far out of his league it was laughable. And while the regeneration he borrowed from her was potent, it was not infallible. Not to mention:

_DEM almost killed Shido just to make Tohka Invert. They may try to do the same again – !_

But while DEM certainly had reason to target Shido, she couldn't help but be suspicious of the girl in front of her.

"And what's with the sudden concern? Aren't you after his life as well? Isn't it rather brazen of you to ask us to take out your only competition in this regard?"

Kurumi looked away. "If I said that I only made this request out of concern for Shido-san, would you believe me?"

"Considering that I fought you in a death battle to protect him from you, you'll have to forgive me for being a little skeptical."

A sigh. "I suppose your impression of me isn't very good. Very well, I'll simply have to take matters into my own hands."

Melting into the shadows, the Worst Spirit slipped away before Kotori could get in another word.

Frowning, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot relentlessly before finally releasing her frustrations with a sigh.

"I should consult Reine about this."

* * *

The hallways of DEM were stained with red.

In the midst of it all, an angel cloaked in blood and death danced and twirled, spraying shadowy bullets that delivered a swift end to their victims.

" _R – Retreat! Regroup with the others – ARGHHHHHH!"_

Another Wizard fell, a gaping hole in his chest. Kurumi laughed as his fellows watched on in horror before turning tail and fleeing through the halls, only to meet a grisly demise as clones flocked out of the shadows, grabbing arms and legs and tearing them apart with brute force alone.

"You don't need to be so brutal, _me_."

She stared at the clone from five years ago. "I will have no mercy for those who would do Shido-san harm." She raised a hand, the City of Devouring Time springing to life around her. "Besides, it doesn't hurt to have some extra _time_ before a tough fight."

The clone still seemed displeased but didn't protest further.

Another flight of stairs, another buffet of _time_ for her. At some point she had become inured to the screams, the bloodshed, the killing. It was so _easy_ to not think about the consequences of her actions when she could undo her mistakes with but a thought.

Finally, she reached the top, and there he was, the hated man who had indirectly put her through these dozens of timelines.

Isaac smiled. "Oh, Nightmare, welcome, welcome. I've been expecting you."

Without bothering to reply, Kurumi raised her gun and fired.

Sparks flew as an invisible wall deflected her shots.

"Not very talkative, are we? I've been wondering who's been foiling dozens of plots of mine, but if it's you, that makes perfect sense, doesn't it?"

More bullets flew, imbued with the power of _Gimmel_.

"After all, after a scheme unfolds, you can go back in time with perfect knowledge of what will happen. And with that knowledge, it becomes rather easy to unravel these plans of mine, hmm?"

Yet the wall held firm, undeterred by the rapid aging it had undergone.

"I imagine you eventually decided that my machinations seemed endless, and that you will have to cut off the head of the serpent at the source, yes?"

"If you have deduced this much, why don't you kindly do me a favor and die for me?"

Isaac laughed. "Yes, yes, now there's the Nightmare I know. But alas, just as you desire my death, I desire the death of this world – and I must be alive to see it through. In fact, why don't I show you something rather interesting?"

He pressed a button, and a screen flickered to life in the back of the room.

She froze, horror coursing through her veins. On that screen, several Nibelcole and Artemisia surrounded Shido's sleeping form. Several of her clones were lying around, lifeless, defeated.

A Nibelcole grabbed each one of Shido's limbs.

_No no no no –_

And then they began to pull.

Kurumi screamed, anger, frustration, rage, despair, horror, fear, a never-ending fountain of smothering anguish and hopeless desperation pouring out of her.

But her emotions did not reach the false Spirits as they continued their torment. She could see the moment Shido woke up, saw his surprise at his predicament, then pain as his joints were stretched to their limits, then agony –

Blood and gore splattered the walls as Shido was torn apart before her very eyes.

The Nibelcole danced around, holding his limbs like a macabre trophy. One of them cradled his limbless torso, propping up his limp head.

She saw his vacant expression, blank and lifeless. In that empty look, she saw only one message:

_You failed to save me again._

Again.

_Again_.

_**Again.** _

How many times has it been now? Dozens of timelines blended together, a never-ending stream of hope followed by crushing despair.

No matter what she did, it wasn't enough.

She couldn't protect Shido.

Even when she changed tactics to try and destroy DEM before they kill Shido, she was still too slow. Too _weak_. Too _**incompetent**_.

A worthless, miserable existence like her . . . should just give up and disappear.

As that thought crossed her mind, something froze within her. A chilling cold spread throughout her body, numbing her pain, her despair, her agony, numbing every inch of her body until –

She couldn't feel anything at all.

"Ah, what a _wonderful_ Inversion. Don't you think so, Ellen?"

There was a man in front of her. A man who spoke to a woman stepping out of the shadows.

"Wonderful or not, she is still a dangerous threat that must be put down. Please, step back, Ike."

"Ah, of course, of course, I'll leave it to you, the strongest Wizard."

The woman stepped forward, brandishing a blade. She felt herself raise her own sword in response, an elegant saber gripped by a pale hand.

Her opponent rushed forward, closing the gap in the blink of an eye.

But against her, it was still far too slow.

" _Lucifugus."_

An astronomical clock appeared behind her, its heavy hands seemingly distorting the very space around it.

" _Leo Bullet Arie."_

A bullet fired forward, shrieking through the air as it left a ghastly white trail behind it.

A green Territory sprang up, ready to defend its user against any and all attacks –

The bullet didn't even slow down.

"Guh!"

The woman, now with a massive hole in her torso, spat out blood, crumpling to the floor in a bloody mess.

The man laughed. Laughed and laughed and laughed. "To think that the Strongest Wizard would be defeated so easily . . . this is truly a terrifying Inversion."

She stalked forward. There was no feeling, no thought in her actions. Only the overwhelming certainty that the man in front of her must die.

An invisible wall hindered her path, but it could not handle its very space being torn apart.

" _Beelzebub!"_ The man called out.

A heavy tome manifested in front of him, dark and sinister.

"Come, Daughters of the Demon King, come and protect your master!"

Paper flew out of the book, paper that took on the shape of girls.

She spared nary a thought for the worthless paper in front of her.

" _Scorpio Bullet Akrab."_

A single bullet punched through every piece of paper. The paper figures hunched over, twisting, bulging, distorting as they were bent into the shape of a castle tower.

"And the ability to create such gruesome minions . . . now I am truly sad to not have obtained this Qlipha Crystal first."

The man shook his head before thrusting out a hand. _"Ashufiriya!"_

The tome launched itself at her, its covers closing in around her head –

It clapped together on thin air.

A bullet tore through it a moment later, leaving a trail of shredded reality in its wake.

She raised her pistol to the man's head.

He grinned wryly. "It seems we have bitten off more than we can chew, Ellen. I doubt Artemisia will be back before Nightmare here kills us – no, Nightmare doesn't suit her anymore does it? She has a regal bearing now, more like a queen; yes, a White Queen."

"Ike – !"

Something grabbed her ankle. It was that woman, managing to have crawled all the way here despite the steady torrent of blood flooding out of her.

She raised her foot and crushed the woman's head, splattering its innards all over the floor.

"Ellen, Ellen, you look so beautiful even when your guts are strewn all over the floor." The man laughed, a hollow, empty sound. "I guess this is farewell, my queen. No, I suppose it'd be more appropriate to say – "

The man looked up, a certain smugness in his eyes.

"See you soon."

She pulled the trigger.

It was over. She should be happy. Yet, she derived no satisfaction from witnessing the man's headless corpse, no joy at having blown his brain all over the screens behind him.

Her murky reflection in the screen stared back at her, a pale figure in a pale dress, cold and unfeeling. Suddenly, another figure appeared in the screen's reflection.

"What a sorry state for _me_ to be in."

There was a girl behind her. A young girl wearing an eyepatch, wearing a dress of blood and darkness. In her hand, she held a flintlock musket. Behind her, a large clock loomed.

The girl raised the musket. "It seems it's up to _me_ to set things right."

Wordlessly, she raised her pistol in response.

Two muzzles flared, and in the blinding light that followed, darkness engulfed her.

* * *

_101._

Kurumi dreamed of a white queen.

A snow-cloaked figure who could bend space to her will. Unfeeling and uncaring, she marched towards her goal without regard for others, ordering her pawns to their deaths for a greater purpose.

If a foe existed out of her reach, she just needed to drag them down to her with the weight of her pawns. If an enemy surpassed her in strength, she just needed to throw her many pawns at them until she could defeat them. If a goal could not be achieved . . .

She just needed to sacrifice as many pawns as necessary for it to be attainable.

That was the way of the white queen.

Once upon a time, she would've never considered such a callous, ruthless method. Once upon a time, she would've regarded such a cruel and manipulative approach with disdain and disgust.

What a laughable lie.

She was the white queen. And the white queen was her.

The capability to be such a despicable person was within her all along.

After all, hadn't she already sacrificed thousands of lives just to get this far?

What was a few more?

* * *

The young clone watched as the Original finally opened her eyes, slowly sitting up.

"My, my, I see you're finally awake. I didn't shoot you in the head too hard, did I?"

The clone shivered as the Original stared at her with dull eyes. There was something missing in that gaze, some spark of life that had burned out a long time ago.

"Hey, are you alright? You _did_ Invert last timeline, after all."

". . . I'm fine."

A dull voice answered her. There was no emotion, no life in that tone at all. It was like speaking to a doll.

". . . Maybe _me_ should take a break," the clone suggested. "If _me_ keeps running herself ragged like this, _me_ will collapse."

The Original stood up, darkness rippling around her. "No. We're close now. I can feel it."

"Oh? What's the plan this time?" the clone asked cautiously.

"We will kill Isaac."

". . . Didn't we just try doing that?"

"Yes. Evidently, we cannot kill him and protect Shido-san at the same time. So, we'll get Ratatoskr to help."

"Didn't Kotori-san refuse us?"

"She did. Which is why we'll incite a war between Ratatoskr and DEM."

"And how will we do that?"

"By framing DEM, of course."

And thus, the final battle began.

* * *

_103._

A pawn died sealing the enemy battleship's movement.

_109._

A pawn died protecting Shido from an ambush that she foresaw.

_113._

A pawn died fighting Ellen with heaven's lasers.

_121._

A pawn died transmogrifying a legion of Bandersnatch.

_126._

A pawn died forcing the Wizards to turn on each other.

_133._

Two pawns died destroying the enemy fighter planes with wind and spear.

_136._

A pawn died killing Artemisia with blood and fire.

_140._

A pawn died protecting Shido from the Nibelcole with ice and frost.

_142._

A pawn died finishing off Ellen with a noble blade.

* * *

_150._

And in the end, after climbing a hill built by the bodies of her pawns, Kurumi reached Isaac and blew off his head.

They had won.

After living through this battlefield dozens of times, watching her pawns fall one-by-one throughout the timelines, each death progressing them closer and closer to taking off Isaac's head, she had finally done it.

Isaac was dead. Shido was still alive.

It was over.

She trekked across the bloody battlefield, sparing no attention to the bodies of the dead. Her eyes were locked on the figure in the distance, cradling a broken body.

"Tohka . . . Yoshino . . . Kotori . . . everyone . . . why?"

She stumbled to a stop in front of him, smiling painfully. "Isn't it great, Shido-san? We won. We did it!"

His eyes glanced up at her, empty and hollow, before a sudden fire erupted in them. "Kurumi!" He shot forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently. "You can fix this, right? You can go back! You can save them!"

Kurumi stared back numbly. What was he talking about? Going back? Saving them? They had won. They had defeated Isaac, and they were both still alive.

She had saved the only person that mattered.

"My, my, what are you talking about, Shido-san? Shouldn't we be celebrating our victory right now?"

"How can I celebrate when everyone I love is _dead!_ "

Her heart stilled. She hadn't wanted to consider it, the chance that this timeline was yet another failure, that she would have to go back _yet again_ –

"I – It's alright, Shido-san." She cupped his cheek. "You still have me. And I still have you. That's all we need, right?"

_Please. Just accept this outcome. I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back again!_

Shido's eyes were downcast, dark and brooding. Next to him, Sandalphon's form blackened, darkening like the depths of midnight. And just as she felt her hopes plummeting –

He looked up and smiled.

It was an innocent smile, stained red by the horrors of war. Something pure had been lost, never to be regained.

"I see. It's just like before, right Kurumi?"

She felt her hopes creep forward, daring to perhaps believe that this timeline was the one –

He stepped backwards, raising Nahemah's dark form against her.

Huh? Was he going to kill her? If it were him, him and him alone, perhaps she could accept being killed by him . . .

"Good-bye, Kurumi."

She closed her eyes and waited for the end.

Something wet sprayed against her cheek.

"Huh . . . ?"

She opened her eyes to behold a nightmarish scene.

Shido was hunched forward on the ground, the Demon King lodged deeply within his chest. Blood pooled around him, his life leaking away just like her hope for this timeline.

Kurumi screamed.

" _Dalet! Dalet Dalet Dalet_ _ **Dalet Dalet Dalet DALET DALET DALET!**_ "

Shadowy bullets battered the lifeless corpse as the empress of time demanded for this scene to change, demand that reality rewrite itself according to her will, but no matter how much she begged and screamed, no matter how much she cried and raged, time remained defiant, marching forward inexorably.

She knew. She already knew that _Dalet_ couldn't bring back the dead, couldn't undo the reaper's touch, but she still had to try, try again and again and again and again and again and again and again – !

She screamed until her voice was hoarse, screamed until her sobs ran dry, screamed until perhaps her shrill cries would fill the void surrounding them and make it burst and reveal the true reality behind it, reveal that perhaps this was all just a terrible, terrible nightmare –

Her bullets ran dry, leaving her with a sliver of time left. She only had minutes to live.

Loading one final bullet, she raised her pistol against her head.

The gunshot echoed across the desolate battlefield.

And then there was only sweet, blissful oblivion.

* * *

_151._

Kurumi didn't show up.

Shido frowned and checked the time. Yup, it was 11:15 AM, fifteen minutes after the agreed-upon time, and the girl of the hour still hadn't shown up.

Thirty minutes later, he was starting to become anxious.

"Kotori? Have you found any trace of her?"

" _We're trying, but the scans aren't picking her up!"_ Kotori growled. _"Either she's left the city, or she's really laying low somewhere."_

Shido frowned, his brow creased his worry. Was she running late? Or had something happened?

" _Hey, you wouldn't have happened to have done something to upset her, have you?"_

"Of course not! I didn't do anything – !"

" _Goodbye, Kurumi."_

_A fatal wound, self-inflicted. He could hear her anguished cries, her desperate pleas, yet none of her words reached him, for he had already sunk into the abyss._

He clutched his head, grimacing in pain. Another nightmarish vision, so vivid and realistic, yet he was certain that no such event had transpired.

. . . Right?

"It can't have . . . ." he mumbled.

But as he recalled how they had changed history together, how he remembered both sets of timelines from back then, he couldn't dismiss the possibility –

" _What? Are you okay, big brother? You sounded like you were in pain."_

"I'm fine. Anyway, I'll go help look for her."

He turned, beginning to run to his first destination, only for the thundering roar of an explosion nearby wash over him.

As the heat seared his body, he felt his mind blank out.

* * *

_162._

She wasn't at the rooftop of the school.

_174._

She wasn't at the shopping district.

_183._

She wasn't at the amusement park.

_195._

She wasn't at her hideout.

* * *

_200._

He found her in the alleyway with the nest of kittens.

She was hunched down, arms over her knees, a small, pitiable figure. Around her, the cats gave her a wide berth, afraid of the girl who smelled of blood and darkness.

There was none of her usual vibrance, none of her cheerful, teasing exuberance. Instead, a heavy air of exhaustion surrounded her, the burden of a girl who had seen too much and done too much.

Shido sat down next to her, and Kurumi didn't react at all.

He studied her, noting her dull eyes and dull gaze. They were a stark contrast to the bright-eyed girl who had proposed a contest to him only yesterday.

Except, it wasn't really accurate to say that was only yesterday, was it?

"Kurumi," he said. "I would like to apologize."

Even when he spoke her name, there was no response. Still, he continued, undeterred.

"I think I have done something unforgivable."

He remembered the stench of blood and death in the air, the overwhelming despair of having lost everything.

"I did something terrible just to hurt you."

A selfish desire, born out of a moment of weakness.

"I'm sorry."

He bowed his head, awaiting her judgement.

Slowly, like the hour hand of a clock inching forward, a few words escaped her mouth.

"Do you . . . remember?"

The pain of being stabbed. The weightless feeling of being decapitated. The burning sensation of being disintegrated. These were feelings that he had both felt and not felt.

"I do." He smiled softly. "You've been working very hard, haven't you?"

He heard a faint sob. There were tears running down her face, a waterfall of the despair, frustration, and helplessness bottled up inside her.

"You always die, Shido-san. No matter what I do . . . you always die."

On impulse, he wrapped her in a hug. He felt her stiffen in surprise before embracing him in return, arms clasped firmly around him like she was afraid he would disappear as soon as she let go.

He held her as she cried out her sorrows, comforted her as sobs wracked her body, and whispered soothingly into her ear as she trembled.

When at last her tears ran dry, at last her emotions had drained away, she whispered into his ear. "Do you want to know the truth, Shido-san?"

Her voice was soft, her words faint, as if she were unsure as to whether she should have made the offer in the first place. But for Shido, there was no hesitation.

He wouldn't let her shoulder this burden alone anymore.

"Of course."

He saw her smile then, faint and fragile. But a smile, nonetheless.

" _Zafkiel. The Tenth Bullet – Yud."_

Time bent around him, and he felt himself live a lifetime in an instant.

He saw how the First Spirit deceived Kurumi, saw how the once-human Spirit was betrayed in one of the worst possible ways. He saw how she swore to stop the First Spirit, to accumulate enough Spirit energy to go back thirty years and kill the First Spirit to prevent the atrocities from ever happening.

At the same time, he felt long-forgotten memories resurface, the memory of a young boy and a strange girl he brought home, of a budding relationship cut tragically short far too soon by one man's ambition.

And of course, he saw himself die.

Many, many times.

He saw just how much she suffered, failing over and over again. He saw her ironclad resolve, slowly flagging as she lived through the same few days hundreds of times. He saw how she endlessly struggled forward, all for the sake of the boy she loved.

All for _his_ sake.

How could he possibly repay devotion such as hers?

It was enough. Kurumi had suffered enough. He wouldn't let her suffer alone anymore.

Shido leaned back, gazing into her eyes. They were no longer lifeless and dull, instead filled with a chaotic swirl of emotions.

"Kurumi, do you trust me?"

She stared back at him, her clockwork eye ticking away their time together.

". . . I do."

He smiled. "Then, let me take care of the rest, alright?"

He brought their lips together, and a spark flickered to life between them. The spark expanded, forming an invisible tie between them, a bridge for Spirit energy to travel through.

As they separated, he saw how her face was flushed, her breaths ragged and short. Yet her expression was dreamy, as if her deepest wish had just come true.

"Shido-san . . ." she muttered.

Suddenly, her eyes widened in alarm as she pushed him out of the way.

**BANG!**

He fell with a heavy thud as debris scattered around them. In a panic, he quickly turned to check on Kurumi only to find her lying motionless on the ground, blood pouring out of a hole in her torso.

"Kurumi!"

"So, this is where you've been hiding."

Ellen stepped into the alleyway, laser sword extended. Her eyes glanced at him, before darting to the body on the ground.

"Nightmare is here too? Maybe this'll be fun after all."

As the Strongest Wizard stepped forward, Shido stood up, the gears in his mind turning.

"You're going to die here. But it would be nice if you at least put up a fight first."

The gears aligned, locking in place. A clock engraved itself on his left eye, dark yet bright.

Ellen stopped, staring at him. "Oh? That's a new trick."

He felt the invisible ties that surrounded him, the bonds that connected him with the girls he cherished, the girls he loved. Pulling on those bonds, he felt their power flow into him.

Shadows coiled around his arm, forming into a familiar flintlock pistol.

He raised the gun.

Ellen smirked. "Have you even used a gun before?"

Shido smiled. "No, I haven't. But I'm sure I'll hit my target."

He pointed the gun at his temple.

By the time Ellen realized what he was trying to do, it was too late.

" _Zafkiel!"_

The Angel appeared, ready to grant one final wish.

" _Yud Bet!"_

Finally, the gunshot cracked.

Finally, the world ended.


	2. I'll always be your friend

_Epilogue_

Shido woke up.

There was a door in front of him, a familiar door he knew quite well. Its oaken frame tempted him forward, the shining light slipping through the hinges beckoning him ever closer.

As his hand stretched out towards the doorknob, the door flew open.

He gasped.

Tohka stood there in front him, with bright eyes and a bright smile. As she peered towards him, she opened her mouth:

“I’m home, Papa!”

And said something outrageous.

_Eh? Eh?!!!_

“Welcome home, Tohka.”

He spun around. Standing there was a tall, blue-haired man. Despite the broad shoulders, despite the subtle facial hair, despite the older, gruffer appearance, there was no mistaking him.

Shido stared at the man he would’ve become in the future.

Giggling, Tohka rushed her father and gave him a hug, passing right through Shido like he wasn’t even there.

“What’s for dinner? Did you cook something delicious today?”

“I sure did! It’s your favorite.”

“Yay!”

“You shouldn’t spoil her so much, Shin.”

A woman appeared in the hallway. With blue eyes and pale blue hair, she looked every bit like the perfect, ethereal beauty.

“Ah, but aren’t you the one who spoils our daughter the most, Mio?”

As the three of them – no, as the _family_ continued to happily chat, Shido looked down at his hand to find it covered in tears.

_It’s over. I’ve given them their happy ending. But . . . what about the others?_

“Mama, Papa, I have some friends coming over, is that alright?”

“Of course, dearie.” Shinji patted his daughter’s head. “Your friends are always welcome.”

The door opened again, and Shido froze as yet more familiar faces confronted him.

Yoshino stood there in the doorway. She looked younger, more innocent, and she was without her trademark rabbit puppet. “E – Excuse me.”

Behind her, Yuzuru and Kaguya stepped in.

“Heyo! Thanks for having us.”

“Greetings. I will be in your care.”

More people trickled in. Kotori, Natsumi, Miku, Nia, Origami, Mukuro . . . every face was a painful reminder of what he had lost, every smile a joyful realization of what he had gained.

Wait. Someone was missing. Where – ?

Shido peeked outside and found her standing there alone.

The young girl stood there, wearing a familiar black dress, yet missing the conspicuous eyepatch. She seemed uncertain, timidly glancing at the door of the house, like she was unsure if she was truly welcome.

He reached out to her –

“Oh, you’re Kurumi-chan, right?”

Shido gasped. Blue hair and familiar features, yet the woman in front of him sported a mature figure that undoubtedly commanded one’s attention.

Mana Takamiya smiled down at Kurumi. “Don’t worry! My big brother may look scary at times, but he doesn’t bite. Let’s go in together, okay?”

Their hands entwined, the two of them walked down to the house together.

He stood there, alone, watching Mana introduce Kurumi to the rest of the children, watching Shinji shower them all with care and attention, watching Mio smiling on from the sidelines –

As he watched, it truly sunk in that this was the peaceful, happy world he had always wished for.

“My, my, what a coincidence bumping into you here, Shido-san.”

He turned, gazing at the black and red apparition that had appeared next to him. Kurumi Tokisaki stood before him, mismatched eyes staring into his own.

She smiled at him, taking amusement in his dumbfounded expression. “Cat got your tongue, Shido-san? I suppose it can’t be helped, since it seems rendering you speechless tends to be one of my charms.”

“Kurumi – !”

There was so much he wanted to say, so many things that had been left unresolved between them.

“H – How are you here?”

“The same way you are, it seems. Watching a happy dream finally come true.”

She gazed at her younger self, who was laughing and smiling with the others. “Once upon a time, I would have sneered at a _me_ that was so naïve and innocent. A _me_ that was so timid, incompetent, and weak.” A wistful look passed through her eyes. “But at the same time . . . I’m glad. Glad that such a world exists where even _me_ can be happy and innocent.”

“Yeah . . . I’m glad too.”

Spirits were beings that caused disasters and claimed lives. It was better for the girls to not be burdened with such catastrophic powers, better if the Spirit of Origin never had to sow the seeds of annihilation.

He looked down at his hand. Already, it was beginning to appear translucent; already, he could feel his grip on this reality fade.

“We’re beings that shouldn’t exist. In this world, you were never born, and I never became a Spirit. Soon enough, we will be erased from this world.” She gazed at him, eyes half-lidded. “But before that happens, I want to know . . . how did you bring about this outcome?”

That’s right. He had gone back thirty years, back to when the Spirit of Origin first came into the world. And once he did –

“I wanted to save you, Kurumi,” he declared. “After seeing the trials you went through, the horrors you witnessed, all for the sake of trying to save me . . . I felt it was something I needed to repay. And I wasn’t satisfied with just bringing you back to life – I didn’t want you to have to bear the burden of remembering the endless pain and suffering you went through in the time loop either. And I knew that simply going back a few days or a few months wouldn’t change anything – even if I changed it so you never went into a time loop for me, you would still remember it and all the despair and agony.”

Kurumi chuckled. “I suppose _Zafkiel_ is both a blessing and a curse in that regard.”

“Right. So, I knew I needed to do something more drastic. And what’s when I remembered when you told me about your goal of going back thirty years to kill the Spirit of Origin. Except I did something . . . slightly different.”

She gave him a sly grin. “Are you sure? The First Spirit looks quite thoroughly slain to me – why, I’m sure your other self does a pretty good job of _slaying_ her every night.”

He blushed. “I – I didn’t know this would happen! I just saved Shinji so Mio wouldn’t have a reason to turn people into Spirits!”

“Hah . . . well, I suppose all’s well that ends well.”

They stood together in silence, two souls on the brink of oblivion. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her in his arms once more, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t even be able to do that much.

“Shido-san.”

Kurumi faced him, eyes brimming with emotion.

“I love you.”

Once, those words would have left him bemused, bewildered, a stammering wreck. But here and now, at the end of the world, he held only conviction and resolve in his heart.

And so, he gathered up his courage one final time.

“I love you too, Kurumi.”

The wind swept by, the herald of spring.

And when it left, the two of them were gone.


End file.
